Video: Operation Breakthrough helping kiddos reach their full potential
November 9, 2017 | Bobby Burch
Founded in 1971 by two nuns, Sister Corita Bussanmas and Sister Berta Sailer, Operation Breakthrough serves more than 450 children daily with a mission to provide a safe educational environment for children in poverty.
The has adapted through the decades to meet the needs of Kansas City’s low-income community, Operation Breakthrough CEO Mary Esselman said. Implemented three years ago, the makerspace includes such zones as textiles, studio arts, chef’s corner and construction/toy hacking, she said. It’s part of an effort to expand early childhood development beyond merely teaching toddlers how to pick up a book, Esselman said.
Welcoming select children from ages 6 weeks to 13 years, the center also includes such health-related programs as a USDA-approved meal program serving more than 1,000 meals a day, occupational and physical therapy, speech and language therapy, a dental clinic, and an on-site Children’s Mercy clinic.
Learn more about the center with the video below.

2017 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
These 15 KCMO projects just got a $19M+ boost; funding focused on inclusive community investments
A pair of high-profile projects at 18th and Vine — restoring the Boone Theater and its Kansas City jazz legacy, along with transforming the long-vacant Workhouse Castle into a boutique hotel — offer just a few notes from a chorus of just-funded redevelopment initiatives aimed at buoying small business and tackling challenges in Kansas City’s urban core.…
Meet 7 startups just funded to turn potential into Kansas City-built tech innovation
The latest crop of Digital Sandbox KC companies — earning up to $20,000 in project funding for their concepts — are poised to make significant impacts within their industries, said Jill Meyer, noting a through-line from digital health to AI-powered construction and fantasy sports solutions. “These exciting innovations show some great promise, and we’re honored…
Cosmo Burger brings its mouth-watering tots, boozy milkshakes to East Crossroads’ bustling streets of eats
Bringing Cosmo Burger to the Crossroads required cousins Atit and Jugal Patel to cook their plans to perfection, serving up the brand’s first full-service brick-and-mortar location after years of trial by griddle. The result: a beefed up version of the owners’ original concept in one of the city’s most popular dining and entertainment districts. “This…
Independence day: Flipping from side-hustle to full-time requires grind behind glory
Founders found freedom in the journey (but they’re grateful for what they didn’t know was ahead) Jason Taylor walked away from big tech for good in January — leaving behind a dream résumé that included a long engineering career at Microsoft, then Google, for the freedom to pursue what had once been just a passion…
